by Chris Black

Merely possessing “hateful” material in your devices is sufficient to face prison time.

Not only that, however the burden of proof is shifted to the accused, who is anticipated to prove they didn’t intend to make use of the fabric to “spread hate”.

This clause is so radical that even the Trotskyist People Before Profit opposed it as a flagrant violation of civil liberties.

Dark times.

Amendment from by @pb4p to incorporate the UN Convention on Human Rights protections on Free Speech inside the Hate Speech bill, has been defeated.

In addition to one to excise the section allowing for the prosecution of people possessing offensive material without communicating it pic.twitter.com/3s7hFFZfnW

— Free Speech Ireland (@FreeSpeechIre) April 26, 2023